Summary
- Zendaya would reprise her role as Chani in Dune: Part Three, showing trust in director Denis Villeneuve’s care for the franchise.
- Villeneuve hints at the importance of the characters Lady Jessica and Chani in Dune: Part Two, and teases the development of Dune 3, aka Dune: Messiah, which will mark the end of Paul Atreides’ journey.
- There are early screenings of Dune: Part Two on Sunday, February 25 and special IMAX showings of Tenet featuring exclusive Dune 2 footage for fans to enjoy before the film’s official release.
Chani and Paul Atreides’ love story continues in five short weeks. And while fans have waited well over two years to return to director Denis Villeneuve’s visionary big-screen adaptation of Dune, there’s even more story to tell beyond Dune: Part Two. And Zendaya is definitely down to reprise the role of Chani in Dune 3. Zendaya said when asked if she’d return for Dune 3 (per Variety):
“Would we be down? I mean, of course. Any time Denis calls, it’s a yes from me. I’m excited to see what happens. I started ‘Messiah’ and I was like, ‘Woah, I’m only shooting the first movie. Let me just go back to the first one.’ It’s so much to take in, but there’s no better hands with better care and love for it than Denis.”
Zendaya added:
I’m just excited to see. It’s just anticipation. Whenever he is ready. He’s a perfectionist in many ways and doesn’t want to share things until they’re ready. So, I’m respecting that and waiting until he’s ready.
Denis Villeneuve Teases Dune 3
Director Denis Villeneuve revealed to the South Korean Press that both Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and Chani (Zendaya) play much more important roles in his film adaptation, Dune: Part Two, than either of the characters did in the second half of author Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, Dune. And Villeneuve even teased the future of his film franchise with the progress of Dune 3, aka Dune: Messiah. Villeneuve said (per TongTongCulture):
“There’s the dream of making an edition of Dune: Messiah — the third movie, which would be the end of the journey of Paul Atreides. It would make absolute sense for me to do the movie. That movie is being written right now. The screenplay is almost finished, but it is not finished. It will take a little time.”
Villeneuve added:
“I don’t know exactly when I will go back to Arrakis. I might make a detour before just to go away from the sun. For my mental sanity, I might do something in between. But my dream would be to go a last time on this planet that I love.”
Dune: Part Two opens in theaters on March 1. However, there are a couple of ways for fans to return to Arrakis early. On Sunday, February 25, special advance screenings of Dune: Part Two will drop, and tickets are on sale now. Plus, cinephiles can attend special IMAX showings of Tenet the week (February 23-29) prior to Dune 2’s theatrical release, which includes never-before-seen “exclusive footage” from Villeneuve’s highly anticipated sequel.
